The Department of Labour has published new minimum wages for truck drivers in the wholesale and retail industry as of 1 March 2020.
The changes come alongside recent changes to South Africa’s minimum wage.
These wages establish the minimum baseline across the sector and workers can earn significantly more based on their position and the company that they work for.
Drivers are paid in accordance to what part of South Africa they are based in:
| Area | Coverage |
| A | Areas around Bergrivier, Breede Valley, Buffalo City, Cape Agulhas, Cederberg, City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, City of Tshwane, Drakenstein, Ekurhuleni, Emalahleni, Emfuleni, Ethekwini Metropolitan Unicity, Gamagara, George, Hibiscus Coast, Karoo Hoogland, Kgatelopele, Khara Hais, Knysna, Kungwini, Kouga, Hessequa local authority, Lesedi, Makana, Mangaung, Matzikama, Metsimaholo, Middelburg (Mpumalanga), Midvaal, Mngeni, Mogale, Mosselbaai, Msunduzi, Mtubatuba, Nama Khoi, Nelson Mandela, Nokeng tsa Taemane, Oudtshoorn, Overstrand, Plettenbergbaai, Potchefstroom, Randfontein, Richtersveld, Saldanha Bay, Sol Plaatjie, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Swellendam, Theewaterskloof, Umdoni, uMhlathuze and Witzenberg. |
| B | All Areas not listed in Area A. |
For those who work as drivers, the maximum permissible number of hours per week is 45. Broken down into a working week of five days, that represents a maximum of nine hours per day.
Workers can work overtime and agree to work six-day weeks, depending on the agreement they have with their employer.
2020 driver wages table
Driver type | Area A | Area B |
| Light (3,500 kg or less) | R4 047.89 | R4 047.89 |
| Medium (3,501 kg – 9,000 kg) | R4 866.83 | R4 047.89 |
| Heavy (9,001 kg – 16,000 kg) | R5 297.74 | R4 047.89 |
| Very Heavy (16,001 kg or over) | R5 822.25 | R5 537.57 |
Here is the Government Regulation Gazzette No. 11041 outlining the conditions of work and wages below:
Retail Salaries and Wages 2020 by BusinessTech on Scribd
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